Rice vs Stony Brook - US university comparison
KEY DATA
HEAD-TO-HEAD STATISTICS
The verdict, from the data
A place is harder to win where the bar sits higher: Rice admits 8%, Stony Brook admits 49%.
Average aid for an international student is $76,332 (Rice) and $2,834 (Stony Brook).
The order of prices reverses once aid is counted: Rice starts at $92,262 against $55,085 and ends at $23,222 against $39,824 (Stony Brook).
The higher median salary ten years after enrolment belongs to Rice: $90K against $75K.
None of these figures decides on its own; what decides is which course you want to be on, and on what budget.
Every sentence above comes from a field we hold in canonical. Where the data is missing, or the gap is small enough to be noise, the sentence simply does not appear.
EXPERT TAKE
Rice is the more selective of the two (8% vs 49.04% acceptance). Rice ranks higher in the ARWU world research ranking (#101-150 vs #301-400). Rice graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($90K vs $75K). Stony Brook has lower sticker-price tuition ($32,741 vs $67,497 per year).
Both universities have complete, comparable data in canonical - the choice should come down to fit (campus culture, major, aid package) alongside the differences visible in the numbers below.
Choose Rice for: a higher world ranking, higher selectivity, higher graduate earnings.
Choose Stony Brook for: lower tuition, lower graduate debt.
College Council Atlas analysis · IPEDS / College Scorecard CDS 2024-25, ARWU 2024.
BY THE NUMBERS
Rice is more selective (8% vs 49.04% acceptance); Rice has a higher median SAT (1540 vs 1410).
Rice graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($90K vs $75K); Rice has a higher 6-year graduation rate (94.6% vs 75.6%).
Stony Brook has lower sticker-price tuition ($32,741 vs $67,497); Rice offers a larger average aid package ($69,040 vs $15,261).
VALUE LANDSCAPE
FULL DATA TABLE
| Metric | Rice | Stony Brook |
|---|---|---|
| World rank · ARWU | #101-150 | #301-400 |
| Rank · THE | - | - |
| Acceptance rate | 8% | 49.04% |
| Yield rate | 44.2% | 14.7% |
| Median SAT | 1540 | 1410 |
| Avg. GPA | - | - |
| Number of applications | 32,473 | 55,880 |
| International students | 13% | 10.2% |
| Median earnings · 10 yrs | $90K | $75K |
| Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $63K | $49K |
| Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $144K | $107K |
| Graduation rate | 94.6% | 75.6% |
| Retention rate | 97.4% | 89.7% |
| Median debt | $11,000 | $18,228 |
| Tuition · year | $67,497 | $32,741 |
| Avg. aid package | $69,040 | $15,261 |
| % of need met | 100% | 0.6% |
| Avg. graduate debt | $28,418 | $23,558 |
| Application fee | $75 | - |
| Enrollment | 8,961 | 26,689 |
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is it harder to get into Rice or Stony Brook?
It's harder to get into Rice. Rice accepts 8% of applicants, while Stony Brook accepts 49.04%.
Do Rice or Stony Brook graduates earn more?
Rice graduates earn more: the median 10 years after enrollment is $90K vs $75K.
How much is tuition at Rice vs Stony Brook?
Sticker-price tuition is $67,497 per year at Rice and $32,741 per year at Stony Brook.
What SAT score do you need for Rice or Stony Brook?
The median admitted SAT score is 1540 at Rice and 1410 at Stony Brook; aim for these values or higher to be competitive.
Which university ranks higher - Rice or Stony Brook?
Rice ranks higher in the ARWU world ranking: #101-150 for Rice vs #301-400 for Stony Brook.
Which university offers more financial aid - Rice or Stony Brook?
The average aid package is $69,040 at Rice and $15,261 at Stony Brook.
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